Erie County 2013: Ds, Rs, Is, Cs, Blanks, and EmoDems

Who’s who, what’s what, and what to think about it all. The background is as follows: Jeremy Zellner defeated Frank Max last year in a hotly contested race for chairmanship of the Erie County Democratic Committee – a win that was ultimately challenged in court, where Zellner’s win was upheld. Since then, Max – more often than not aligned with former chairman Steve Pigeon and his small but vocal team of Republicans nominally Democratic contrarians has been cultivating alliances with Republicans and Conservatives, and at times creating chaos for its own sake.

The Republican committee is run ably by Nick Langworthy, who has a lot of big-ticket names and hard-fought races under his belt. More importantly, the outnumbered Republicans have aligned themselves in most races with both the Erie County Conservative Party, run by Ralph Lorigo, and the New York State Independence Party, which does not let any local IP organization decide on endorsements. Having three lines, including two cleverly named minor fusion parties, is the only way Republicans can win races countywide, and in certain parts of the county.

But the most dangerous person for Democrats in western New York is Stefan Mychajliw. The eye-chart name, the boyish good looks and charm, for years you let him into your homes via the teevee, where he donned a red coat and asked “tough questions” because he was on your side. He has parlayed that nightly visit into elected office, where he is relentlessly “reasonably sounding the alarm” on county spending, waste, fraud, and abuse. He knows full well that he has wide and deep appeal to voters, no matter what party affiliation. The comptroller gig is just part of a longer-term goal to attain executive office – Mayor or County Executive – and people know him and like him, regardless of how he’s doing his job.

COUNTYWIDE

Erie County Comptroller (Stefan Mychajliw, incumbent)

Democratic Regionalism and downsizing activist Kevin Gaughan has taken the place of Lynn Szalkowski, who dropped out of the race shortly after petitioning ended. Gaughan will compete on the Democratic and Working Families lines. Mychajliw will have the Conservative line, but he is being challenged on the Independence Party line by Anthony Dorazio, Jr.

The venom directed by the chaotic Frank Max EmoDems against Zellner’s recruitment of Szalkowski should be of particular concern. Szalkowski was, on paper, the dream candidate; she is an attractive, youthful female with an ethnic name from the suburbs, whose CPA made her remarkably more qualified for the position than the incumbent. It’s not her fault she dropped out of the race – by all accounts, she is smart, bright, and knew what she was getting into, but personal stresses got in the way of an effective campaign and she had to drop out. It’s frankly none of anybody’s business what those stresses were, but there was a great deal of hatred spewn at her and at Zellner when she departed the race – and it was done by people who are either named “Mychajliw” or so close to his campaign that Zellner could have recruited Jesus Christ, CPA and they still would have backed Stef. “Disingenuous” isn’t strong enough for their wailing.

But more importantly, Szalkowski is exactly the sort of person any political party should want to attract to public office. Smart people who enter politics know they’re in for a tough go, but she was unfairly and viciously attacked. Suggesting that the party perpetrated some sort of petition fraud is laughable. They really wanted her.

Now, we have Kevin Gaughan – a person who, unlike Mychajliw, has a genuine record of accomplishing the unthinkable – shrinking of the size of government in western New York. A lawyer, Gaughan has devoted years to make the region and city run smarter and more efficiently. Would Gaughan run his office by press release, and send auditors to trick custodians into unlocking rooms to grab DSS records from a secure subbasement location in the Rath Building to score political points? Doubtful.

Dorazio is a local IP member who is sick of the downstate people selecting Republicans (almost exclusively) to run on that line.

Erie County Sheriff (Tim Howard, incumbent)

Richard Dobson is a former deputy, and is backed by the Max/Pigeon EmoDems faction. Bert Dunn is scion to the Bert’s Bikes empire, formerly the Dunn Tire empire, and is a current Sheriff’s Deputy. It’s been alleged that the EmoDems have teamed up with incumbent Tim Howard to use Dobson as a pawn. Dobson is similar in almost every way to the last two Democrats who challenged Howard and lost.

COUNTY LEGISLATURE

Certain races will be closely watched because it takes one seat to flip the Democratic majority into a Republican one. That one seat doesn’t necessarily mean a Republican pickup, by the way – there are at least four nominal “Democrats” vying for a seat, any one or all of whom would gladly strike a deal to share power with the Republicans, just like under Barbara Miller-Williams period of dysfunction and collaboration.

District 1 (Timothy Hogues, incumbent)

Hogues will have the Working Families line, but he is being challenged on the Democratic line by…

…wait for it…

…Barbara Miller-Williams. No joke. No one has the Republican or Conservative nod. Miller-Williams has backing from people close to City Hall, and the chaotic Max/Pigeon EmoDems. Hogues defeated Miller-Williams last time around because she used her position to align herself with Chris Collins and the Republicans on the legislature, effecting a Republican coup of that body. The result was devastating for her constituents, as Collins defunded clinics and other resources on which the community depended. Hogues is chairman of the public safety committee and has helped to restore all the Collins cuts to libraries, rodent control, and a soon to open clinic on Broadway. Hogues is a rising star in the party and someone to watch.

District 2 (Betty Jean Grant, incumbent)

Democrat Grant came extremely close to upsetting Democratic State Senator Tim Kennedy during last year’s primary, mostly thanks to an aggressive write-in campaign. It shows that Grant has a very strong and motivated base of support. Joyce Wilson Nixon is challenging Grant for the Democratic line in September. Betty Jean will have the Working Families line. No one has the Republican or Conservative nod. Nixon’s husband works in City Hall, and she runs the National Inner Cities Youth Opportunities nonprofit, which receives public money to help at-risk youth.

District 3 (Lynn Marinelli, incumbent)

Attorney Jennifer Stergion is running on the Republican and Conservative lines, while Marinelli has the Democratic and Working Families lines. The two will square off in September in an Independence Party primary. Marinelli is one of the hardest working people in county government, and is an effective, likeable, relentless candidate.

District 4 (Kevin Hardwick, incumbent)

Hardwick will run on the Republican, Conservative, and Independence Party lines. A Democrat named Bill Conrad is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines. Conrad is a relative unknown outside of Kenmore and Tonawanda, but he is a teacher at Ken West, an unenrolled voter, and is very active in extracurricular sports in the town. He is very smart and will need to work extremely hard to unseat the well-known and popular Canisius professor.

District 5 (Tom Loughran, incumbent)

Loughran has staked out a bit of a reputation for independence during his legislative tenure, and will be challenged in November by Republican Amherst Highway Superintendent Bob Anderson. Anderson and Loughran both submitted petitions for the Independence Party line. Anderson will have the Republican line, while Loughran has the Democratic line. Someone submitted “opportunity to ballot” petitions for the Working Families line, and a Christopher Fellows is challenging Loughran in a primary for the Conservative line. Loughran will have to run hard, as it is a tough district, but his independent streak and no-nonsense demeanor should do well for him.

District 6 (Ed Rath, incumbent)

Rath will have the Republican, Conservative, and Independence nods while Clarence resident Alan Getter submitted Democratic petitions. Getter is unenrolled and needs a Wilson-Pakula to run on the (D) line. A Clarence resident, Getter is a CPA and small business owner who is active in the community. Ed Rath is Ed Rath.

District 7 (Tom Mazur, incumbent)

Mazur is not seeking re-election, and he has endorsed Democrat Lynn Dearmyer to replace him. Dearmyer primaried Mazur in 2009 and lost. Former Cheektowaga town councilman Rick Zydel is challenging Dearmyer for the Democratic nod.

Zydel has the backing of the Max/Pigeon chaos faction. In fact, Zydel announced that he would run a primary campaign against the incumbent Mazur, the legislative majority leader. Obviously, that’s not going to go over well at Democratic HQ. So, when Mazur decided not to run – mere days before petitioning was to begin – HQ wasn’t inclined to call an endorsement meeting, and an open primary ensued. Zellner says, “not one committeeman” has called him to “express outrage at this.” Incidentally, as to Zydel’s alleged popularity in Cheektowaga, he most recently lost re-election to the town council to (of all things) a Republican.

Pat Burke, a South Buffalo native who recently ran for a seat on the common council – and lost – is also running as a Democrat, leaving a 3-way primary in September. Elias Farah, who appears to be a tea party type, is running on the Republican and Independence lines. Zydel has the Conservative nod, and also submitted petitions for the Working Families line.

District 8 (Terry McCracken, incumbent)

McCracken is not seeking re-election. Democrat Wes Moore is backed by the Frank Max / Steve Pigeon Democratic faction. Ted Morton is running on the Republican line. Wynnie Fisher is a teacher who is also running as a Democrat, and Morton has the Conservative line. As in the case of Zydel, Moore announced before McCracken decided he was out. Moore never contacted Democratic Headquarters or Jeremy Zellner directly, except to send an email to a generic “info@” email address asking when his endorsement meeting would be held. None was held. It should be noted that WGRZ 2-Sides cohost Kristy Mazurek is Moore’s and Zydel’s campaign manager. Query why Mychajliw would have felt the need to abandon the show when he ran for public office, yet the Democrat on the show feels no similar ethical obligation to do so, going so far as to attempt to ridicule an opponent on Facebook who wasn’t interested in going on the show.

Like Zydel, Miller-Williams – and to a lesser degree Nixon – are potential candidates to flip the legislature to one that is friendly to the Republican minority, resulting in a de facto Republican majority. Anyone who remembers the Barbara Miller-Williams legislature knows what that would look like. The only difference now is that Chris Collins is nowhere to be seen.

District 9 (Lynne Dixon, incumbent)

Former WGRZ journalist Dixon is a member of the Independence Party who caucuses with the Republicans in the legislature. She is being challenged by Democrat Mike Schraft, who also has the Working Families line. Dixon has the Conservative line, and is being challenged by Brian Burke for the Independence Party nomination. Schraft is a military guy with a background at the State Department, specifically dealing with development and budget issues in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Washington. Burke is related to Pat Burke, as seen above in the 7th District Race.

District 10 (Joe Lorigo, incumbent)

Lorigo is a member of the Conservative Party, led locally by his father, who caucuses with the Republicans in the legislature. Lauren M. Gray is a young law school graduate awaiting her bar exam results, has the Working Families line, and is challenging Lorigo for the Independence nod. Democratic Headquarters is proud to have five female candidates, three of whom have never before run for office. Lorigo is seen as vulnerable and a possible (D) pickup, due to the fact that he doesn’t enjoy a wide base of support and has done little.

District 11 (John Mills, incumbent)

You are spot on about Szalkowski – the dream candidate with looks, ethnicity, education and a resume that matches up with the duties of the job. You fail, however, to bring up one very important thing.

A Comptroller Szalkowski would have been anything but an independent voice for the public that screams and demands for strong and unfettered oversight of county business. Her daily routine would have been to fetch herself coffee or cocoa and head up to the 16th floor to receive her daily marching orders and instructions from the County Executive’s office. Then a visit with the deputy budget director to get her talking points and briefing on the budget issues of the day and how to respond to them. The rest of the day would be spent on hair and nails, and then off to ECDems headquarters to dial for dollars, do campaigning for other Dems and to get her list of latest underqualified and unskilled hacks being sponsored by the Chairman for placement in technical accounting jobs in the Comptrollers office.

With her withdrawal from the race and even the slightest chance that she would have actually won, the taxpayers of Erie County really dodged a bullet.

As for Gaughan? Unlike Szalkowski, a Comptroller Gaughan would probably possess those qualities of independence and an arms length relationship from the administration and the legislature. But stories abound of liens, judgments, unpaid bills, and all sorts of chaos in Gaughan’s personal financial affairs. And now he wants to oversee the management of billions of MY county tax dollars? Pay your old bar tabs, Mr. Gaughan, then come talk to the voters. In the meantime, no thanks.

Pauldub

Your comments about a former candidate are out of line. She’s out of the picture. You lost Andrew, for God’s sake get over it. And if you think attention grubbing Stef is our best bet, I am concerned for your sanity.

Dan Jones

The only people who have lost are the Democrats of Erie County, who have had themselves subjected to the shenanigans of this entire process.

Know Saint

Understandably, some political insiders will not support the candidacy of Mr. Gaughan, being that they continue to be sore. But these folks are merely a drop in the bucket when all’s said and done, considering the vast majority of voters could care less about their angst.

Who is qualified?

You need only look at the recent revelation concerning the incumbent’s top appointee caught on camera taking a large garbage tote full of social services’ recipients’ personal information, and then Stefan saying that this tote was left unattended at a loading dock.

And when shown this video, the incumbent let’s his top appointee slide.

Mr. Gaughan would NEVER resort to such a “Sweeps Week TV Ratings Gimmick” – trying to set up the county executive for ridicule, and in such an unethical and shady way by the incumbent, I have to add.

Had the incumbent had any credibility, he would have fired this appointee on the spot! But that would have been an admission of guilt in an election year, so he lets this appointee slide.

Residents would NEVER have to worry about Kevin doing something absolutely outrageous and corrupt like that.

Oh, and who should be worried, I my view?

The public authorities, the IDAs, and special taxing districts, and the bloated school district administrators (not the teachers, of course), and definitely the unethical political appointees like the person with the tote.

This is where Comptroller Gaughan can make change, and reducing the property tax burden for homeowners at the same time. Unfortunately for someone like the incumbent, these type of “bully pulpit” initiatives would never enter his mind. But they are certainly in Kevin’s thought processes, in my opinion, if you ever heard one of his “speeches, forums, conversations and talks.”

Kevin has my vote, and that of my family, too!

Know Saint

Is there any chance Mr. Kulyk would favor us with his opinion on a possible return of Barbara Miller-Williams to the Erie County Legislature? After all, Andrew did serve in a patronage position under her, and would be casting a vote in that Democratic primary, I understand.

Hank Kaczmarek

EC Dems have overseen a 55 year decline of the county. 55 years ago WNY was in total boom mode. Now there aren’t enough people left (Voted with their feet) to do the work if there were actually any jobs, and the tax base eroded as they left. So what are the Dems running on? “Look back at the complete decline of Erie County, AND VOTE FOR US?” Actually, I think all the incumbent Dems should be re-elected. It will hasten the end. BTW my “adopted” uncle Tom Mazur is out there a piece, and I hope he gets as much of a laugh from that picture as I did.
Oh BTW Alan, making fun of Stefan comes straight from the liberal playbook. If you fear a candidate, mock them or attack them personally. You’re not a liar and I’ll back you up on that. Cheesy, but you got the message across. Comptroller will likely stay in Stefan’s hands.

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

County population has stabilized for the first time in decades, and unemployment has fallen. All with a Democratic majority legislature and Democratic County Executive.

wnyresident

Alan, What did Mark and crew do to stabilize our population seeing you are giving them credit for doing so?

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

2,000 word post and this is what you’re concerned with?

I have no idea what “Mark and crew”, whoever that is, did to stabilize population (although I note that you’ve conveniently left out the unemployment issue). But what we can establish is that Buffalo’s 6 decade decline in population had nothing to do with “Democrats” and a lot to do with literally thousands of other factors, most of them completely out of the control of the local political establishment, regardless of party.

By Republican logic, a decade ago when we had a Republican County Executive, a Republican Governor, and a majority Republican county legislature, everything should have just magically turned itself around.

In any event, the fact that population loss has perhaps hit bottom and stopped, for once, is a good thing and it happened to occur under a Democratic Governor, a Democratic CE, and a majority Democratic legislature.

wnyresident

Alan,

You are the one that posted this:

“County population has stabilized for the first time in decades, and
unemployment has fallen. All with a Democratic majority legislature and
Democratic County Executive.”

Not me. I don’t mind someone giving credit when credit is due but I don’t see it in this case.

I’ll go slowly for you.

You said “All with a Democratic Majority legislature and Democratic County Executive” Which sounds like you are giving them credit for the population stabilization.

I think it just drives you CRAZY that under the Dems Buffalo is rising!!!!

wnyresident

The “erie county democratic party” has been in control most of the time. I agree the reps are to blame for some of it also but for the most part the dems have been calling the shots.

I want buffalo to do good. If you look at what I do you’ll see we work with companys trying to grow thier businesses. I have been in business since 1982. I have watched a lot of businesses and people move away.

T

_____

wnyresident

companies not companys. The spelling police will point that out.

Know Saint

As you can see in the NY Times piece, Democrats Tony Masiello and Byron Brown deserve a lot of credit for these positive results! And of course Democrat Andrew Cuomo, too.

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

1. Hank suggested that population had fallen and that blames the entirety of a 60-year decline of Erie County on “Democrats”. This is, to put it bluntly, a childishly simplistic assignment of blame for not just a local demographic shift, but for a demographic shift that has gripped the majority of the formerly manufacturing-dependent Great Lakes region.

2. I pointed out that these trendlines have stopped & stabilized in the last few years, under Democratic leadership. In other words, I took Hank’s facile “analysis” and indicated that it was faulty. If “Democrat” is the common denominator for 60 yrs of failure (it isn’t), then the fact that we have stabilization and improvement with Democrats in all major power centers, this is indicative of that faulty logic.

3. I’m not assigning credit to Poloncarz or anyone else. I am merely stating a fact – that these things have happened and we have Democrats at the helm of the leg, the county executive’s office, the city of Buffalo, and the Governor’s office. Cuomo has done more to reform NYS government in just a couple of years than Pataki could accomplish in 3 terms.

Hopefully that should explain it.

gap05

Coffee? Cocoa? Will spend work time getting hair and nails done? What a misogynistic comment. No wonder people don’t want to run for office.

Also, you complain about Conservative Democrats and argue for ‘purity’, but endorse Bert Dunn for Sheriff? You want someone who’s going to deal with unions and police brutality to have Ronald Reagan to be their favorite President? Seriously? That’s moral hypocrisy on the highest level. Bert Dunn is as much of a Democrat as I am a Vikings fan. Dobson has over 30 years on the force and is in great physical condition, Dunn has access to tons of money, that’s really all I can say for him.

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

Dunn also happens to be on the force right now, and electing a Democrat who likes Ronald Reagan is less offensive than electing a Democrat who is going to caucus with the Republicans and subvert a Democratic legislative majority.

Dan Jones

A Democrat who just a few years ago supported, donated and belonged to the party that his opponent does doesn’t sound subversive to you? He’s trying to buy the Sheriff’s race, he’s a younger version of Jack Davis. Thanks but no thanks. As for being on the force right now? Whip-dee-doo, I suppose that qualifies any first year deputy to take over the department.

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

Except he’s not a first year deputy, so your analogy is faulty. He has been on the force for 12 years, so he has experience. I think there’s a valid criticism of Dobson as being not significantly different in age or experience from the last two Democrats who ran against Howard and lost. So, trying something new makes sense.

Dan Jones

Why is it that Dunn supporters keep going after Dobson’s age? He’s a dynamic campaigner up close and rides motorcycles and horses, he’s an active guy who knows police work and is a valid alternative to Howard. Bert Dunn is no different from Howard in ideology or point of view.

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

Well, that’s not true. I don’t frankly give a shit if the Sheriff is a Republican or a Democrat. I just want the Sheriff to be competent and responsible. I am commenting on the state of the race as it exists today. I don’t think Dobson’s age is a negative, per se. I just think Dems should try something different this time.

How can you possibly be taken seriously as a candidate for such a serious position in law enforcement, and the top position no less, after retiring some 16 years ago?

Don’t you believe law enforcement and its tactics have changed considerably since then?

Did they even have something called a “computer” in the Erie County Sheriff’s Department back when Dobson retired?

Dobson may seem “dynamic” on the campaign trail, but you would have to admit he would need some serious catch-up in the law enforcement education department if elected. How has he kept abreast of modern law enforcement and its tactic since he retired?

Will he continue to collect a taxpayer-funded public pension if elected?

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

And incidentally, I’ll take a Reagan Republican if he thinks Howard is horrible at his job and can beat him.

Dan Jones

What makes you think he’ll be any different from Howard as a Ronald Reagan Republican?

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

Because we know Tim Howard is horrible. “Less horrible” is a desirable and achievable goal, requiring minimal effort.

Dan Jones

A Sheriff who admits that he’s just using the Democratic party because he can’t get elected on the Conservative line is the worst thing I’ve ever heard of, and I’m pretty amused that a ‘pure Democrat’ like you is supporting it. Of course, loyalty to the party to you only means loyalty to ECDC.

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

You put quotes around it – please show me where I ever called myself a “pure Democrat”? I have supported Republicans in the past, and I have been a Republican in the past. However, I do not think that it is in anyone’s best interests to, e.g., have a de facto Republican legislative majority thanks to some rogue Democrats.

Dan Jones

Your attacks on Swanick for not being a ‘proper Democrat’ were non-stop, and given that he was in line with what normally constitutes being a Democrat on all but one issue, I think it’s disingenuous to give Dunn a pass.

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

My attacks on Swanick were due to the fact that he had already flipped his party affiliation to R when it suited him (and Giambra), the fact that he was a leader in the legislature that brought county finances to a generational crisis, and the fact that his only platform last year had to do with being a homophobe. I think (as did the voters) that everyone had had quite enough of that sort of politics and politicians, and Swanick went away again, hopefully never to return to make an attempt for public office again. In other words, my problems with Swanick weren’t JUST that he was a homophobe, but his entire, shitty, horrible record while he was in office.

Dunn, on the other hand, has never sought or held elected office before, and who am I – as a former Republican – to hold it against Dunn that he finally saw the light?

If we’re talking about disingenuousness, it seems silly to be so anti-Dunn because of his lapsed Republicanism, when you supported an opportunistic party-switcher like Swanick last year.

Dan Jones

‘Finally saw the light’? As recently as this year he was sending text messages admitting that he’s only using the party because he can’t run on a minor party line and that ‘Ronny Reagan’ is his favorite President. He’s not a conservative Democrat, he’s a convenience Democrat, Jack Davis minus about 40 years and a self earned fortune. Swanick went back and forth, but I’m a moderate, you on the other hand went after Swanick for this and are giving Dunn a giant pass. I’m arguing here that you’re bending over backwards to support Dunn because he’s endorsed, and you should just admit it. I, for one, don’t someone like him in a position where he’ll set labor policy and be in charge of police brutality. It’s too important of a position to be bought and sold.

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

And I backed Jack Davis twice if it was a choice between him and Chris Lee or Tom Reynolds.

And I’m not “bending over backwards” anything. We tried Dobson before – he was just named Fieramusca and some other guy I can’t remember. Let’s try something different and maybe defeat Tim Howard for once.

Dan Jones

The only two people I ever regret voting for are Eliot Spitzer and that lunatic Jack Davis. If I could go back in time, I would have left the ballot blank. There’s bad, and then there’s worse. Just because someone isn’t the opposition doesn’t mean they’re better. Dick Dobson is a better choice, Bert Dunn is not.

starrrbuck

Dunn also seems to me like a good choice. If he wins the primary, I might vote for him over Howard in Nov. Curious what Dunn thinks about the SAFE Act.

But anyhow, just wanted to add something about this:

he [Swanick] was a leader in the legislature that brought county finances to a generational crisis

Lynn Marinelli was also a legislator who rubber stamped Giambra’s budgets back then and had advanced through the ranks to become majority leader by the time shit hit the fan due to budgets she favored while climbing the ladder.

Swanick: “a leader in the legislature that brought county finances to a generational crisis”

Marinelli: “one of the hardest working people in county government, and is an effective, likeable, relentless candidate”

Funny how the mid-2000s county finance crisis is brought up about others like Swanick and Naples when their names ever come up, but not for Marinelli.

Also, from the post:

Mills is running unopposed. Can you believe that?

Will Bob McCarthy or anyone describe the choice of Democrats to not run at least a symbolic challenger to Mills as “suppressing the vote” or “voter suppression”? (I’ll predict no.)

Dan Jones

The only ‘EmoDems’ are the ones that shriek in a shrill rage at anyone who challenges their assumptions or dares to support primaries. Also, why is it that those who attack Andrew Kulyk are almost always incapable of using their real names? Man or woman up, and tell us all who you really are, otherwise you really don’t have much to say.

http://www.buffalopundit.com/ Alan Bedenko

I’ll use my real name. I like Andy and consider him a friend, but I think what he wrote about Szalkowski in his second paragraph was packed with misogynist hatred, and really proved the point of what I wrote, above.

Know Saint

WOW!

“It should be noted that WGRZ 2-Sides cohost Kristy Mazurek is Moore’s and Zydel’s campaign manager.”

OMG!!! Are these candidates out of their minds???

With her collection of arrests and DWI convictions, you would think that perhaps these candidates would not want Mazurek as their campaign manager.

Will these candidates under her control push for a reduced Erie County commitment to DWI enforcement and checkpoints? That is in order for her to escape further jail time, or a prison sentence now that her next DWI would mean serious prison time in the county prison Moore and Zydel would presumably be in charge of.

In Lancaster, where a youngster innocently riding his bike one night last year was killed by a drunk, people should be disgusted and outraged at Moore. It says a lot about this man, and Zydel too, having her running the campaign.

You would think that Moore and Zydel would have to worry about some political ad attacking them on some boring policy matter keeping them up at night. But, rather, they probably have to worry that perhaps their campaign manager is out getting crocked at some fundraiser and stumbling to her car, and God help their campaign (and, much more importantly, the entire WNY community), should tragedy ensure and she hurts or kills someone, or if their campaign manager should get caught up in a DWI checkpoint run by Erie County.